Have a crack at Calabria, the Cornwall of Italy

Just swap pasties for pizza, and clotted cream for cannoli

Recognise the photo? If you do, it’s because it was used in last year’s Rule Italia ’90 feature (and if you don’t, where have you been?!). But you can’t improve on perfection, so we thought, hell, why not use it again? And what better way to encapsulate the fast-developing Calabria, than Tropea Beach, situated right on the big toe of Italy’s boot.

Of all the peninsula’s diverse regions, it’s the one that probably doesn’t score very highly in the wine-producing department. As Italy’s synonymous with the holy grape juice, this may go some way to explaining why it’s lagged behind in the past, particularly where tourism is concerned.

However, holidaymakers from Germany, the Netherlands and, of course, the rest of Italy have been coming here for decades to experience what’s known as La Costa degli Dei, or ‘Coast of the Gods’. The parallels with Cornwall? It’s in the country’s south-west, the beaches are the best it has to offer, much of it is fairly rustic (there are no cities here, incidentally), and fishing courses through the veins of the place.

This all reflects the Calabrian cuisine. Seafood is more abundant, whereas game, unlike in the North, takes more of a backseat. That’s not to say it’s non-existent; the sizeable population of wild boar ensures this. If you fancy some, your best bet is a restaurant in Monte Poro, a small cheese-producing town. It goes without saying of an Italian region that gastronomy is at the heart of everyday life, and that the pizza, cappuccino and ice cream are magnifico. But what does a unique slice of Calabria bring to the table? Show me a ristorante here that doesn’t do the freshest swordfish you can get, and I’ll say it’s all a mirage.

As alluded to earlier, the lifestyle is quite traditional and laid-back here, so agriturismo – where farming and eateries collide – is big business. But if you really want to rejoice in what Calabria has to offer the palate, then look no further than red onion (this is the capital of the world for ‘cipolla rossa’) and ‘nduja, a spicy sausage that’s now world-famous in terms of local produce. It originates from a small town called Spilinga, but is now embraced everywhere from Birmingham to Bangkok. Look at the pizzas in Asda or Sainsburys and you’re bound to see it topping a couple. There’s even an annual ‘nduja festival, but that’s hardly surprising as there’s one for just about everything here; cheese, wine, squid, octopus – rumour has it there’s even one for missing out on World Cup qualification. All have been sorely missed over the last couple of years.

Naturally, the full range of watersports are available, along with boat trips to the nearby Aeolian Islands – including Stromboli, home to one of Italy’s three volcanoes – and Sicily, if you fancy grabbing a bit of the Godfather. There’s plenty to do on land as well. Calabria is one of those crazy-beautiful places where you can sunbathe in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon (although not year-round we hasten to add). For nature enthusiasts, there’s La Scila National Park, which is home to the rare Apennine wolf – is there anything Calabria doesn’t do? We’ll let it off for the wine.

And with more and more travel shows in the TV schedules, Calabria is now getting proper exposure. Of course it’s more pasta than pasties, but get here while the going’s still good.